Card Games

Bridge shuffle

A bridge shuffle is the act of mixing the cards before dealing in contract bridge, with the purpose of creating a random deal.

Purpose: To randomise the deck so the resulting hands are not predetermined³.
Related technique: The riffle shuffle (or weave shuffle) is a common method used in bridge¹.
Exception: In goulash bridge, cards are not thoroughly shuffled between consecutive deals².

Key points

A bridge shuffle is simply the ordinary mixing of cards before a deal in contract bridge³.
The term does not refer to a specific technique; common methods include the riffle shuffle and faro shuffle¹.
In goulash bridge, shuffling is deliberately incomplete between deals².

Common questions

Does the bridge shuffle cards more?

No. A bridge shuffle is not a distinct technique that shuffles more thoroughly. It is just the general act of mixing the deck before a deal in contract bridge³.

Where this term is used

Card games

Not the same as

Bridge — a bridge shuffle is the card-mixing step, while bridge is the trick-taking game itself

Card games Bridge The trick-taking card game that uses a bridge shuffle before each deal. Card games Riffle shuffle A common method of shuffling, often used in bridge. Card games Faro shuffle A precise interleaving shuffle, sometimes used in bridge. Card games Overhand shuffle A simple shuffling method, less common in bridge. Card games Hindu shuffle A shuffling technique used in some card games, not typical in bridge. Card games Whist vs bridge Compares the two trick-taking games, both of which involve shuffling.

Sources

Shuffling Cards for Blackjack, Bridge, and Other Card Games arxiv.org Provides context on riffle and faro shuffles as methods used in bridge.
Goulash (bridge) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Explains the goulash bridge exception where shuffling is incomplete.
Glossary of contract bridge terms en.wikipedia.org Defines shuffle in bridge terminology as mixing cards before a deal.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.